Terrence N'Dabian of Bunnell High School races upfield for a second quarter score against Weston High School during gridiron action against visiting Weston in Stratford on Friday evening.
Photo: J. Gregory Raymond

Terrence N'Dabian of Bunnell High School races upfield for a second...

Weston High School's Aaron Pomerance keeps his feet while surging for extra yardage during second quarter action in Stratford on Friday evening. Weston was down 18-7 with seconds left in the half against host Bunnell.
Photo: J. Gregory Raymond

Weston High School's Aaron Pomerance keeps his feet while surging...

Bunnell WR Lucas Mola scoots around right end for a short game during second half action on Friday evening against Weston. Bunnell led 18-7 near the end of the second quarter.
Photo: J. Gregory Raymond

STRATFORD­ -- Coming in, undefeated Weston had every reason to expect a walkover playing at one-win Bunnell. What it got instead was a dogfight.

After trailing for most of the game, the Trojans scored 20 unanswered points in the second half and overtime to win 27-20 Friday night at Bulldog Field.

"These kids, they just don't give in," Weston coach Joe Lato said. "We didn't play a great game, but they found a way to overcome the adversity and stay together and get it done in the fourth.

"Bunnell played a good game, a very spirited game. I give them credit. We were just happy to get out of here with what we did."

Weston quarterback Tyler Hassett had a great night running and passing. He had 233 yards through the air, 83 on the ground and three touchdowns, including the tying and go-ahead scores.

Early on, though, it was Bunnell (1-4) that came out firing. Weston (5-0) fumbled on just the third play of the game and Bunnell recovered on the Weston 15-yard line. Justin Townsend scored on a 10-yard run to put Bunnell up 6-0 following a missed extra point.

Weston answered with a 47-yard kick return by Zach Cannon and scored three plays later on a Hassett run. From there on, though, the constant pressure by Bunnell's defense gave Weston fits.

"They were being really aggressive blitzing and we were a little late with getting rid of the ball and they got some timely sacks," Lato said.

Bunnell scored two more times in the first half, both by way of the big play. Nolan Auriela hauled in an 80-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Bryan Castelot. Two drives later, Terrence D'Nabian scored on a 30-yard run to put his team up 20-7 going into the break.

After the half, Weston began to chip away. They would score on a trick play: Receiver Erik Dammen-Brower took a reverse handoff and then stopped and threw a 53-yard pass down field to a wide-open Thomas McGlone for a touchdown.

It was the Trojan defense that stepped up next, stopping Bunnell on fourth down and then forcing a three-and-out. With just over seven minutes left, Weston would have a shot at the go-ahead score.

Hassett drove his team 63 yards, at one point converting a fourth down on a fake punt by completing a 33-yard pass.

Down at the Bunnell 1-yard line, Weston let Hassett keep the ball himself four straight times. He finally scored on the fourth attempt, diving over the line to knot the score at 20-20.

However, resilient Bunnell stepped up yet again. Defensive end Isaiah Arthur-Brown blocked the pivotal extra-point attempt to keep the game tied.

Weston got the ball first in overtime. Facing a third down and 5 yards to go, Hassett dropped back and found McGlone in the back of the end zone. The receiver juggled but was able to hold onto the ball.

"They were blitzing everyone so I knew he was going to be open," Hassett said, "and I kind of threw it off my back foot while I was being hit and Thomas made a good catch."

After the extra point, Weston led 27-20.

With 10 yards to go, Bunnell fumbled away its chance to tie the game, sending the Trojan players rushing off the field cheering.

"It doesn't come down to one football play," Bunnell coach Craig Bruno said. "There were a lot of plays in the game that we could've made and they made them and we came up short. They beat us fair and square."